Tony Iommi attends Birmingham launch event for Black Sabbath – The Ballet
Rehearsals for the show were under way on Thursday ahead of the its opening in September.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi was joined by the artistic director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet for the launch event of a new show inspired by the pioneering heavy rock band.
Rehearsals for Black Sabbath – The Ballet were under way on Thursday ahead of the show’s opening in September.
It will run at the Birmingham Hippodrome from September 23 to 30, with further dates in the autumn in Plymouth and London to be announced.
On Thursday, Iommi and artistic director Carlos Acosta joined the wider creative team in Birmingham to hear about the project’s development and take part in a Q&A.
The show has been described by Acosta as the “next best thing” for fans of the heavy metal band after frontman Ozzy Osbourne recently stepped back from touring because of poor health.
Black Sabbath – The Ballet will merge the world of dance with classic songs by the Birmingham-based rockers, alongside new and archive material from the group.
Commissioned for the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the 90-minute show has been given Osbourne’s blessing.
The production is hoping the band will be involved in some capacity with the show, including recordings of members describing their time in Black Sabbath.
Eight of their classic tracks – including Paranoid, Iron Man, War Pigs and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath – have been re-orchestrated for the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s permanent orchestra.
New compositions inspired by the band will also be played live by the orchestra with guitars and drums to be integrated into the performance.
Black Sabbath formed in 1969 with lead singer Osbourne, guitarist Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward.
Iommi previously said he had “never imagined” pairing Black Sabbath with ballet, but the show had “a nice ring to it”.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how this all develops. Black Sabbath have always been innovators and never been predictable, and it doesn’t come any more unpredictable than this,” he said.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.